


awful advice

by AslansCompass



Category: The Elementalists (Visual Novel)
Genre: Aromantic, Asexual, Canon Asexual Character, Gen, aroace, asexual coming-out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:14:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22337635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AslansCompass/pseuds/AslansCompass
Summary: Diane thought she was just giving Atlas a tour of Penderghast. But a simple question proved more difficult than she planned expected.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	awful advice

".... Even worse, what if someone gets a crush on me? What should I even do?"

What? No, not that question. Diane blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "You should definitely beat them up. Let them know what they're getting into from the very beginning." 

"Agreed. It's probably best to start with a headlock."

"Wait, no. I was kidding!" Diane rubbed her forehead. This could not possibly get worse. 

"Mating is an aggressive bloodsport. Lots of biting and possible death. Haven't you watched any nature documentaries?" Atlas bared her teeth. "If somebody wants me, they'd better have a high tolerance for pain."

"Atlas--" she looked up and noticed Atlas smirking. "You little beast!" Diane raised the textbook threateningly. "I oughta--"

"I'll stay here and pay for that," Atlas took the book. "Why don't you go out and get something to eat?"

* * *

Diane and Atlas sat at a table in the square, watching Diane's lumian Ambrosia munch on some chicken legs. "There you go, girl. You deserve it." Diane grinned. "We should see about getting you a familiar, Atlas."

Atlas frowned. "I've done fine on my own so far."

"Well, yeah, Ambrosia's helpful with some spells, but that's not the only reason. She's a great friend too. Great listener, good for cuddling with after a rough day." 

"Or you could just get a boyfriend. Girlfriend? Either? Both?" 

Diane sighed. "Can we just....not go there?"

"What? I'm your sister; I'm supposed to ask embarrassing questions. So come on, your secret's safe with me. Who do you have a crush on? Beckett? Griffin? Shreya? Aster?" 

"You really aren't gonna let this go, are you?" 

"Nope." 

"Fine." Diane adjusted the dragon bracelet on her wrist. "So, I'm guessing you're familiar with the concept of sexual orientation, huh? Like, different people like different genders. Not just like, but you know, _**like.**_ _"_

Atlas rolled her eyes. "We're not ten. You can say 'sex,' you know. Lust, libido...."

Diane held up her hand. "That's not the point. The point is, some men want to have sex with men. Some women want to have sex with women."

"Oh, gods, just get to the point."

"Well.... I don't want to to have sex with anyone. Ever."

"Huh? Is this some kind of Tuneless thing?"

"No, it is not some sort of Tuneless thing. Trust me, everybody I've ever met, Attuned or not, has been interested in sex." Diane remembered Zephyr. "Well, with one exception. But I don't want to have sex. I don't want to kiss, I don't want to get to second base, I don't want to have sex."

"Really? Nobody's caught your eye? Maybe if you just---"

"No. You don't get it." Diane pushed her chair back and stood up. " _I don't want to have sex. Ever._ That thing that happens when you get butterflies in your stomach or hot flashes or whatever--it's never happened to me. It never will."

Atlas frowned. 

"No dates. No flowers or pretty songs." She's too angry now to go into schematics on asexuality vs aromantism. "I don't want any of it. And I don't need you feeling sorry for me or trying to fix me or any of that shit!"

* * *

Diane stormed back onto campus. She turned back towards the dorms, but stopped mid-stride. Even if Shreya wasn't there, Atlas was officially their roommate now. Diane didn't want to see either of them right now. Instead, she grabbed some pebbles off the main path and started throwing them into the lake. After a few throws, she started using wind magyck too. Each clod of dirt landed with the force of a boulder.

"Hey, you alright?"

It was Zeph. "Thank god," Diane stopped throwing. "You're the one person who could actually understand what I'm going through right now."

Zeph sat down on the grass. "Mind explaining?"

"Atlas and I were supply-shopping when she asked me about dating. And then afterwards, she started teasing me about having a crush."

Zeph sighed in sympathy. "What'd you tell her?"

"That I don't want to have sex, that I never want to have sex, that I don't even want to go on dates."

"And she said...."

"First she asked if it was some kind of Tuneless thing. Then she was all 'what if you meet....' and I just... well....." Diane plopped to the ground and buried her face in the grass. "Ugh, I totally blew it."

"First time coming out?" Zeph asked.

Diane mumbled something. "I didn't even know there was a word for it until I few years ago."

"I still haven't told my parents." He admitted. "My little sister knows I'm not interested in the whole relationship thing, but I haven't quite... you know."

"It's so exhausting. First you have to tell them what you are, then what that is, then convince them it's real." Diane rolled over. "I don't suppose you have any handy pamphlets?"

"We could get some. Or make our own."

"With magic?" Diane sat up. "That could be cool. We could make it bite people if they don't listen."

"Or just repeat the answers. That would be a tricky spell, but we could totally pull it off if we worked together."


End file.
